□ Principal’s Office (Shiki Minazuki)
“Well? Have you found out anything?”
“…No.”
The middle-aged man in a lab coat, sitting on the sofa in my office, was cornered by a beautiful girl who seemed just as intense.
“Honestly. Are we to let the reputation of our national research institute fall apart? After all that effort by a whole team of researchers, the result is ‘we don’t know anything’?”
Did I step into a lecture room by mistake? This is starting to feel like a twisted scenario… No, kidding aside.
We were in the midst of questioning the results of an investigation concerning the recent appearance of an Archdemon.
After all, they assured us there was no problem, only for the Nightmare Lord, the King of Nightmares, to show up next. I couldn’t just let this slide.
“Well now, Shiraishi. If this is the first time such an incident has happened in the world, there are some things we simply can’t help.”
That being said, our goal here is to discuss solutions, not to berate the guy. It doesn’t do any good to keep on like this. I tried to calm down Shiraishi, the student council president, whose cute face was twisted in anger.
“But Minazuki-sensei, we can’t form a plan without at least a hypothesis. We need to check for any missed possibilities.”
Right, that didn’t work.
Funny, isn’t it? She’s the student council president, yet I’m the principal here.
So why am I the one being scolded?
I understand her feelings, though.
After all, high-rank monsters have been showing up one after another in the Academy Dungeon.
We need to get this under control, or the Academy won’t be at peace. This isn’t just her job as president—it’s a matter of her reputation as well.
As for me? I’m only principal because I’m the strongest among the Academy’s faculty. But as an adult, I should probably guide things toward a solution.
“Right. Speaking of, isn’t there a magic device being researched called the Dungeon Controller?”
“Yes…”
“What if we tried installing that?”
It was a sudden idea, but it didn’t seem bad.
“If I remember, it’s supposed to stabilize dungeons with fluctuating magic power, correct?”
“The theory behind it is sound, though we’re unsure if it really works… Plus, there are some rumors about the developer, so trust is an issue…”
Good. Shiraishi seemed intrigued… I think.
“Well, that can’t be helped. Research on magic power and dungeons is still ongoing, and there’s only so much time. For now, we should proceed with temporary solutions.”
“Understood…”
Decision made.
I contacted the researcher in charge of the Dungeon Controller and asked for an estimate. It seemed within budget. I’d get a proper quote later.
“We’ll skip the explanation for the ‘Dungeon Controller’ magic device.”
Apparently, it needs to be placed at the back of the boss room on the lowest dungeon floor. Simple enough—just go in, set it up, and get out.
“I’ll handle the installation. Also, I’d like to bring Amagi and Yumeno with me.”
“They have regular classes today…”
Shiraishi often makes abrupt demands.
But I couldn’t allow it to disrupt their studies.
They’re probably still tired from yesterday, after all.
“Just let them know. I’m interested in them.”
“…They both possess ‘Magic Release,’ which could make this challenging.”
Why does she act so high and mighty? Even if she’s the council president, I’m still the principal.
I considered telling her off but tried reasoning with her instead.
“Shall I just take Amagi? Or bring both?”
“Fine. Both can accompany you.”
“Thank you.”
With no trace of a smile, Shiraishi bowed coolly and left.
Can you believe it?
Outside the Academy, people call that ruthless girl an angel.
This world is seriously mistaken.
I reluctantly contacted their homeroom teacher, Goto-sensei, and summoned Amagi and Yumeno. Yumeno seemed a bit unwell, so Sayamura offered to accompany him as well.
He shouldn’t be able to withstand “Magic Release,” though, and he was imprisoned by Balor recently. Isn’t he the one we should be worried about?
I tried to tell him, but he ignored me, and the three of them went off.
Who am I, anyway?
□ Academy Dungeon Entrance (Tōma Yumeno)
This is bad…
I’m already exhausted today, and now we’re being sent back into a dungeon?
Sorry if that sounded gross… It just slipped out.
Amagi-san and I were called by the principal.
It turns out that the teacher who saved us yesterday and helped us check the boss room was the principal.
Most students would recognize him from entrance ceremonies or the end of first semester, but I transferred here, so this was my first time seeing him.
When I apologized for not realizing it sooner, he muttered, “You’re such a good kid. The only one…” as if lost in his own world.
So here we are at the dungeon entrance.
For some reason, Sayamura-san is with us.
Are you sure you can handle Amagi’s “Magic Release”?
“Glad you could make it… all three of you?”
“Student Council President Shiraishi. I’m Tōma Yumeno. She was worried about my health…”
“I’m Eri Sayamura, nice to meet you.”
“I’m Sakura Amagi.”
A stunning, divine-looking woman stood before us. Different from Amagi-san, this angelic figure was apparently the student council president giving us instructions.
“I see… Well, do you know what your mission is?”
“Yes, we’re here to install the Dungeon Controller in the back of the boss room.”
As the leader of our team, I took on the responsibility of replying.
“Yes. The recent Archdemon and Nightmare Lord appearances were dangerous, and the damage would have been greater without you all. On behalf of the council, thank you.”
“Oh, it was nothing…”
“I’m glad we could help. Although it was mostly Amagi-san who did the fighting, I was just there for support.”
Since Amagi-san seemed flustered by the council president’s intensity, I decided to handle the responses.
She’s the one who took care of the combat, so at least let me manage this part.
“Not at all. I saw the recording—you provided precise healing and support spells to disrupt the opponent’s actions. The stability you brought to the fight was reassuring, wasn’t it, Amagi?”
“Yes. Exactly as you said.”
Oh? That’s higher praise than I expected.
“I had the records checked, so I know about your background as a seeker. You needn’t put yourself down. Feel free to act without worry, knowing we’ll protect you. If anything happens, let me or the principal know. I may be just an A-rank seeker, but I do have connections with the national dungeon association.”
“Oh, thank you, that’s generous.”
And to think, she even knew so much about me and was this considerate.
Then again, my father is the head of the dungeon association.
“Honestly, I’d invite you to join my party… Relax, Amagi, I’m not taking him.”
Next to me, Amagi-san looked a bit pouty… it was adorable.
